Spiked Holiday Cider

The markets are bursting with apples, pears, persimmons, and oranges, and I can’t get enough! With Christmas and New Years right around the corner I wanted to create a festive spiked holiday cider using my favorite cold weathered fruit. All you need are some slices of persimmon, a big squeeze of orange juice, toss in cubed pear and apples, simmer, and finish with a splash of brandy. and you got yourself the most delicious spiked holiday cider!

There are a few reasons why I love this recipe so much – First, it’s spiked, second, because it uses seasonal ingredients that are at the peak of there ripeness, and lastly because it has a touch of sweetness that you can adjust to your liking. All the flavors of Fall and Winter sweetly simmer together with a shot of brandy, who doesn’t love that? Now, let’s so spike some holiday cider!

Instructions: Add all spices to a medium/large pot and on medium heat, toast and stir spices for about 5 minutes, or until fragrant. Take pot off the heat and add chopped fruit and orange juice and peel, and maple syrup then fill the pot with water until the fruit is covered with about 2 inches of water. Cover the pot and set to medium-low heat and simmer for 3 hours. Once the holiday cider is ready, strain and discard the fruit and spices, and add more maple syrup to the cider if needed. Serve hot or cold. Optional: Top each mug with optional drink decorations and add 1 ounce of brandy before serving.

Spiked Holiday Cider

Get in the holiday spirit with this Spiked Holiday Cider! This easy cocktail recipe uses Fall and Winter fruit, like apples, pears, and persimmons, then is naturally sweetened with maple syrup, and topped off with brandy. This boozy cider is the ultimate festive holiday cocktail, perfect for your holiday party.

Author:Michele Sidorenkov, RDN

Prep Time:15 minutes

Cook Time:3 hours

Total Time:3 hours 15 minutes

Yield:2-4 cups

Category:Cocktail

Method:Stewing

Cuisine:Holiday

Ingredients

3 cinnamon sticks

1 teaspoon whole cloves

1/4 teaspoon whole allspice

2 star anise

1 bartlett pear

1 fuyu persimmon

2 apples

1 small navel orange (juiced and the peel removed)

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 ounce of brandy per drink

Optional Drink Decorations:

Whole fresh cranberries

Cinnamon sticks

Thin fruit slices cut into shapes with a small cookie cutter

Instructions

Add all spices to a medium/large pot and on medium heat, toast and stir spices for about 5 minutes, or until fragrant.

Take pot off the heat and add chopped fruit and orange juice and peel, and maple syrup then fill the pot with water until the fruit is covered with about 2 inches of water. Cover the pot and set to medium-low heat and simmer for 3 hours.

Once the holiday cider is ready, strain and discard the fruit and spices, and add more maple syrup to the cider if needed. Serve hot or cold.

Top each mug with optional drink decorations and add 1 ounce of brandy before serving.

Notes

When preparing the orange, peel the orange using a vegetable peeler before cutting the orange in half and juicing. When removing the orange peeling, try to remove the least amount of orange’s white inner peeling as possible – the white part is bitter!

The exact amount of cider varies depending on the amount of water you fill your pot, and the size of your serving mugs. Add more water and fruit if you are serving more people.

I used a honey brandy for this recipe (which was so delicious) but you can use any brandy you like.

The strained fruit from step 3 can be blended into an applesauce in a food processor instead of discarding. Just remember to remove the spices before pureeing!

Nutritional note: Because the recipe is strained at the end, getting an exact fiber, calorie, and carbohydrate count is difficult. The nutritionals provided are the closest estimate I can provide. The exact numbers would not be above what I provided, only lower than my estimate.

Nutrition

Serving Size:1 cup

Calories:222

Sugar:32g

Sodium:3mg

Fat:0g

Saturated Fat:0g

Unsaturated Fat:0g

Trans Fat:0g

Carbohydrates:41g

Fiber:1g

Protein:1g

Cholesterol:0mg

Keywords: Cider cocktail, Holiday cocktail

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*The Amazon products linked on this page are products I used to make this spiked holiday cider recipe. If you purchase any of the items through the Amazon affiliate links I have provided, I receive a small commission on the items purchased. This in no way influences the items I recommend or raises the price of the items for you. I only add items to my posts that I use and think you will love just as much and I do!

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Hey, I’m Michele, RDN

Trained Chef & Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

I'm always searching for elevated and celebrated food experiences! Whether it's a regional dish from around the world or a healthy seasonal recipe, I'm sharing it with you! Add a little more sparkle to your day with my healthy recipes, must try travel bites, and once-in-a-lifetime food experiences. Join my edible adventure! More About Michele →